Centrifugal clutch mechanism for sectional flywheels



March 17, 1931. J. o. CARLREY 1,796,439

CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH MECHANISM FOR SECTIONAL FLY WHEELS Filed July 25, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 17, 1931. 1 Q CARREY 1,796,439

CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH MECHANISM FOR SECTIONAL FLY WHEELS Filed July- 25. 192s 2 sheets-snee: 2

Patented Mar. 17, 1931 narran vs'rxrss Parsisr orricr.

JOI-IN O. CARREY, F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO CAEREY-MOESE ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH MECHANISM FOIR- SECTION AL FLY WHEELS Application filed July 23,

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in'` driving mechanisms for compressors, pumps, refrigerating apparatus, and the like, the primary object of the invention being to provide a device having a series of fly wheel sections adapted to be set in operation progressively in order to relieve the motor or other prime mover of excessive starting torque, and at the same time allow the use of a fly wheel having the required weight necessary for the efficient operation of the apparatus.

Further objects of the invention are to construct the clutching means utilized to inerengage the ily wheel sections so as to render said clutching means readily responsive to the various speeds and make it positive in operation so as to effect proper disengagement and interengagement of the ily wheel sections at the desired speeds.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a seal for the shaft of the device, which seal is placed under an increased pressure when the device is stationary and which auxiliary or increased pressure is removed fromV sad seal when the shaft is actuated so as to prevent excessive friction between the seal members.

Still other objects of the invention are to correlate the operation of said clutching means with said seal members so that saidy of construction and arrangement of parts,

hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings`l in which Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section through the device and showing theoperating parts thereof occupying positions when the device is at rest.

Figure 2 is a fragmental sectional view of 1926. Serial N0. 124,348.

the fly wheel sections and the shaft and showing the parts occupying positions when thc shaft is in operation.

Figure 3 is a detail view taken on line 3 3 of Figure l.

Figure l is a detail view taken on line 4 4 ofFigure 1. Y

Figure 5 is a transverse cross section taken on line 5 5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a similar view but showing the clutching means partly engaged. f

Figure 7 is affragmental detail view showing the clutching means entirely engaged and the fly wheel sections in interengaged relation.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 10 indicates a casing which it is desired to seal, such as a compressor casing for refrigerating systems. A compressor shaft 11 is journaled in bearings 12 of said casing and has one end extending outwardly therefrom as indicated at 11a. A seal member 14 is loosely arranged on said shaft and bears against one side of the bearing through which the end 112L projects and said seal member is provided with a concave seat lila in which is seated the convex face 15 of a seal member 16 which latter is fixed to shaft 11. Said seal members are preferably held in proper sealing engagement with each other by means of a coil spring 17 which maintains said sealing members under pressure necessary to prevent the fluid contained in the casing from escaping ou `wardly through the shaft opening, without, however, creating excessive friction between said members during the operation of shaft 11.

' A fly wheel 18 is arranged on the projecting end 11a of shaft 11 and said fly wheel consists of two sections, namely, the driving section 19 which is loosely mounted relative to shaft 11 and the driven ily wheel section 20 which is fixed relatively to said shaft. Section 20 is mounted directly on end l1, being provided with a sleeve extension 21, the end of which is engaged by the enlarged end 22 of a screw 211 which latter is screw-seated in the projecting end 11a. A friction washer 25 is interposed between fiy wheel section 20 and the corresponding bearing 12 of casing 10. Driving fly wheel section 19 is provided with a tubular hub 26 which is loosely disposed on sleeve 21 and has a slight axial movement relative thereto. This section 19 is provided with an annular lange 19a over which operates a belt 27 whereby said section 19 can be actuated. Said flange extends toward the driven section Q0 and preferably encloses the same as shown in Figure 1. Driven section 2O is provided with an annular flange Q0 which extends toward section 19 and is spaced inwardly from the tlange 19- thereot. The inner face i201 ot flange 29 adapted to be trictionally engaged by shoes or segments Q3 which are pivotally mounted on section 19 at :29 and are preferably provided with suitable friction material, such as bralre lining 3i, to provide a better grip between said segments 2S and the face 20h ot' llange 20.

Sections .23 are actuated by arms 31 which are pivotally mounted at 32 on section 19 and are provided with extensions 34, the ends of which engage notches 35 termed in the lfree end of each segment Q3. Llach arm 31 has mounted thereon a weight 3G whereby, when the section 19 is actuated, arms 31 are caused by centrifugal action to move outwardly on pivots 32, thereby causing segments 23 through the interengagement of extensions 3f-l with notches 35 to swing on pivots Q9 into engagement with tace 20h of driven section 20, thus establishing interengagement between the ily wheel sections 19 and 520.

Springs 37 connected at one ot their ends to arms 31 and serve to hold the latter in contracted or inoperative positions.

.ln practice, it is found that where weighted arms are used to operate the frictional segments that said arms will be moved by centrifugal action prematurely, thereby eiecting an interengagement ot' the ily wheel sections before the driving element has attained its full operating speed. Also this premature movement ot arms 31 causes dragging et the segments Q8 against the Jr'ace 20b beiore the complete interengagement oi the i'ly wheel sections 19 and 2O is el'lected. It :fin'ings 3'? were made suliciently strong to resist the untimely actuation of arms 31, the inter-engagement oit the fly wheel sections would not be positive due to the torce exerted by said springs against said arms which would counteract the ccniriiugal force.

1n order to provide an ellective interengagement between said Hy wheel sections and at the same time provide a device which is readily responsive to the proper speeds, l novide means for arresting arms 31 in their nity-card movements before segments 28 are brought into engagement with tace 20h, said means being centritugally operated to release arms 31 when a predetermined speed as been reached.

This means comprises auxiliary arms 33 pivotally mounted on fly wheel section 19 at 39 and having their tree ends 33Cl arranged adjacent to and in delinite relation with the tree ends 31 ot arms 31. Each end 3S is provided with a shoulder 33" which, when arm 33 occupies retracted position, lies in the path of movement of the end 31 of the corresponding arm 31 and prevents the complete pivotal movement of said arm 31 as long as weighted arm 33 occupies retracted position. Auxiliary arms 33 are held in retracted positions prei'erably by having one of the ends ot springs 37 connected thereto so that each spring 3T is utilized to hold in retracted positions one o" the arms 31 and the auxiliary arm 38 of the opposite arm 31. Viv/Then arms 31 occ py retracted positions, the ends 31a thereoi are spaced suitable distances l'rom shoulders 3S" ot arms 38, thereby permittingsaid arms 31 to move a predetermined distance before being arrested by auxiliary arms 33, which latter are operable at a greater speed than arms 31. Consequently arms 31 and segments 2S re held in readiness to complete their outward moven'ients as soon as released. Then the fly wheel section 19 reaches its normal or operating speed, ieights 33 are actuated by centrifugal action and move away from the corresponding ends 31, thereby releasing said arms 31 so that the latter can move outwardly the full distance and bring segments 2S into operative engagement with the lace 20h Oli driven liy wheel section Q0.

The initial or partial movement of arms 31 outwardly is utilized to release the seal members 14 and 15 of auxiliary sealing j )ressure just before the shaft 11 is in operation. This axial sealing pressure is applied to sealing members 14 and 16 while the shait 11 is stationary and it is the purpose to prevent the escape ot' fluid trom casing 10 through the shaft opening. In some apparatus, such as compressors, used in connection th rigerating systems, the pressure increases in the casing when the compressor is stationary due to the expansion ot the refrigerant in said casing, and it is therefore desirable to increase the pressure in the sealing members. However, when the machine in operation this excessive sealing pres.` ire is unnecessary as the lluid pressure in the casingy reduced and it is lundesirable the triction between the scaling` members would be too great and would result in rapid wear of said scaling members. This auxiliary pressure is supplied to the sealing members by blocks or weights 3G which are provided with inwardly projecting beveled extensions 3G, the inclined faces oit which, when blocks 3G occ py retracted positions, bear against the inclined or convex tace of a washer 410 which is arranged on tubular extension 21 and bears against pins Ll1. lVasher 40 is held against `axial movement by pins 41 which are freely seated in the hub portion of section 2O and bear against friction washer 25.

The opposite faces of extensions 38a bear against one end of tubular portion 26 of seetion 19, thereby exerting axial pressure against said flywheel section 19 in a. direction away from casing l0. Section 19 is allowed slight longitudinal movement so that the outer end of tubular portion 2G is brought into engagement with head 22 of screw 2d, thereby transmitting the axial pressure produced by blocks 36 against said tubular portion 26 to shaft 11 and through said shaft to sealing member 16 causing the convex face 15 thereof to be brought by said pressure into a more complete sealing Contact with the concave seat of member 14 when the machine is stationary.

As soon as arms 31 are actuated, the tapered extensions 36 are moved away from tubular portion E26 and washer l-O, 'thereby removing the axial pressure directed against shaft 1l and relieving seal members ld and lo of auxiliary sealing pressure so that when section 2O and sha-ft 11 are set in operation by the releasing of Weighted arms 31, sealing members 14 an 16 are held only under normal pressure in engagement with each other.

Blocks 36 are adjustable on arms 3l to render said arms operable by centrifugal action at the required speed. i set screw l2 is screw-seated in each bloclr and engages arm 31 and serves to loclr the block in adj usted position. The provision of supplemental arms 38 not only provides simple means for relieving the seal members from the in creased pressure before the interengagement of the fly wheel sections, but also an eiiicient interlock is provided between the fly wheel sections when arms 31 are released. rlhis is due to the fact that arms 3l are operable at lower speed than supplemental arms 38; consequently when arms 38 are actuated, driving section 19 has reached its proper sp ed and arms 81 which have been operated by centrifugal action at a slightly lower speed are released and move to complete their outward movement and bring segments 28 into engagement with section 20 at increasedV aressure. ln this manner, segments 28 are broughtI into operation at a speed greater than that required to actuate arms 31 and when section 20 is cut in the speed of t ie driving section will not fall below the speed required to operate arms 81, thereby avoiding dragging of segments 28 and any material fluctuation in the speed of the device.

I claim:

1. A fly wheel comprising a plurality of sections, a pair of Weighted members constituting primary centrifugal means for effecting an interengagement and disengagement of said sei-tions, and a. pair of pivotally mounted arms forming auxiliary centrifugal means, said arms normally having their free ends disposed in the path of and spaced from said weighted members to prevent the complet-ion of the centrifugal movement thereof to prevent interengagement of said fly wheel sections until the increase of speed actuates said auxiliary means to release said primary means whereby the completion of the operating movement of the primary means is effected at a higher rate of speed than the speed necessary to operate said primary centrifugal means.

il. i fly wheel mechanism comprising a driving section and a diven section, clutching` means for interengaging said sections, primary centrifugally operable arms pivotally mounted on sl i driving section for actnating said clutching means at a preoeter mined speed, and auxiliary centrifugally operable rms pivotally mounted on said driving section independently of said priop rable at a higher rate of speed relatively thereto, the free ends of said auxiliary arms being provided with shoulders normally sjlaced from the free ends of said p imary arms and lying in the path of movement there if whereby said 'primary ,rms partially operated at a certain .fpced and the c aletion of the operating novement of said clutching means and said fiirary arms is effected at a higher rate of uponA actuation of said auxiliary arms. 3. n a device of the class described, the combination with shaft, of a bearing thereor, a pair of ily wheel sections arranged on aid shaft, clutching means for interengagsaid sections, centrifugallv operable prinary members for actuating said clutching dis, centrifugally operable auxiliary meina-ers for limiting the operating movements of said primary members and releasing the latter at a comparatively high-er rate of speed, a seal me nber loosely arranged on said-,shaft adjacent to one end of said shaft bearing a seal member fixed to said shaft in sealing pressure contact with the lirst seal member, beveled extensions on said primary members for coa= 0; with sait seal ineinbers whereby one of sa'l seal members is dis placeable axially by said extensions when said primary members occupy retracted positions, thereby increas' the pressure contact between said seal n-enbers when said primary members are stationary or operating at low speed, said beveled extensions being disengageable from said seal members to remove said increase in pressure when said primary members are actuated centrifugally.

el. ln a device of the class described, the combination of a revolnble shaft, a pair of dy wheel sections, one of which has a fixed relation with said shaft and the other is loosely disposed relative thereto, clutching means for interengaging said fly wheel sections, p imary centrifugally operable means for actuatin@V said clutching means, auxiliary d y' one of said members is disl to increase the placed relative to the otner i "e betveen sail seal mempressnie contac-l ivhen said prima ry means are inactive, sa'd bere-.liaV eide [sions being,` disengageable from said ser-l members when said primary ans are actuated by centrifugal action. 5. fr device orf the el: i described compris in combination a driven revolfi le menidriif'iniif revolube mi fiber, clutching in i.:

ber, a

means carried by Said driving member tor znterengaging; said members erin centi-iiugally operable arms for actuating said clutching` means, and auxiliary eentriifugally operal'lc arms for limiting, When in retracted positions, the operating` movements ot' said -vrimary arms, whereby the latter are only pai n Y d dnrino' the e 'l'ec'tiie speed and are released When 'e auxiliary arms are actuated at a iigher speed, whereby said clutching` means is rendered active by said il l'lllS.

G. il. deice oi' the class described coniprisini;` in combinati n a revel ible shaft, z driving` member loo mounted there ii, a driven nien ber i'ixed lo said shaft, clutching' means carried by said driving); member for 'infr said members, primary cent-rifugaliy o; "able arms carried by said driving member Jrior actuating said clutching; means. auxiliary cei trifupjally operable arms carried by said driring member operable at a higher rate olt speed than said primary arins and axY ap'l'ed when in contracted posdions 'to lii -no the oiicratinamovement of said prin any.' arms iv i the latter are inter-en;

onliv partial eratcd d urina their ellective speed i i to operate r aid n the eentrilne'al operseal Aneans Yfor elntci'hii ation ei said s iait when said primary arms occupy retracted positions. said beveled extensions being diseneageable from said sea members when said primary arms are actuated, thereby placing; said seal members under normal pressure.

7. A device of the class described com` prising in combination a reif'oluble shaft, a driving revoluble member loosely mounted on said shaft, a driven ievoluble member iii-ed to said slia'l't, clutchingmeans carried by said driving member 'for interengaging said members, primary centritngally operable arms Carried by said driving:` member tor actuating said clutching means, auxiliary centrifugally operable arms also carried by said driving member and operable z t a higher ate or speed than said primary arms and adapted when in retracted positions to limit the operatingi movements of said primary arms, a shaft seal il'or said shalt including` a pair or' members, one of which is staionary and the other fixed on said shalt, and beveled extensions on said primary arms for :oncting` With said seal members and exerting;- pressure against said shat't in ax'al d' iction when said primary arms occupy retracted whereby the sealing contact beid seal members is increased above 'ben said primarvY arms a 'e inactive a .iight to normal When said primary ari are actuated and said means on said primary arms are rendered inactive.

S. A device ot the class described comprisme` in combination a driifing revolnble nen'iber, a drii'en revoluble member, said members being arranged in coaxial cooperative relation, clutching;` means carried by said drivingmember ttor enga y' said driven member, prin'iary centritugally operable arms carried by said driving member tor aetuatl Le; said clutching` means, auxiliary centriugaliy operable arms also carried by said driving member and operable as a higl er rate of speed than said primary a ans, said auxiliary arms beine' adapted when in retracted positions to limit the initial operatingmovement' of said lriniary arms, a shaft seal coinpLsinfr a pair olf' seal men one oli' which is stationary and the other revoluble with said driven member, and beveled extensions on said primary arms 'for enactingwith said seal members to increase the contact pressure between said seal members When said primary arms occupy retracted positions and to remore sneli additio i pressure when said primary ar ns are aetnated, the init'al opciatin,ev movements ol said primary arms being, sui'iieient to disengage said beveled extensions from said s V.al ineinbers, said clutching means being operable only Wiien said primary arms are released by said auxiliary arms.

In testimony whereof l hereunto allix my signature this lllth dav ot July. i926.

Jorrit o. orina rif. 

